VWR International: Synergy in Action

Operations

Although VWR has almost 2.7 million square feet of distribution space, some products are drop-shipped directly from the manufacturer. For example, suppliers ship extremely delicate instruments and highly complex products that should be accompanied by a technician from the manufacturer.

Analysis: A big part of the marketing communication team’s responsibility is to analyze results of catalog campaigns. Precise correlation of sales-to-source is difficult because of the multichannel marketing—catalog, Web, newsletters and special promotions, and an active field force. Square-inch analysis is used, and if a product falls below profitability, its viability is questioned. The item may be removed from the catalog but retained on the Web site.